Fracking Survey Plane in the skies over the North Coast

The prospect of Fracking moves one ominous step closer in the North Coast. Join the No To Fracking campaign!

This week ‘Rathlin Energy’ begin the latest phase in their bid to extract fossil fuel gas from the bedrock under the North Coast of Ireland. A survey plane will take off from Enniskillen and survey the mineral make-up of the land from Limavady, across Coleraine and Ballymoney, to Moyle district including Ballycastle. Previous exploration for shale gas has been carried out in the area already under a previous licence, but the current survey is the first major activity under the controversial licence granted specifically for the extraction of gas by hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

Alongside this, ‘Rathlin Energy’, with the assistance of the notorious Weber Shandwick PR company, are beginning what they describe as ‘[a]n extensive awareness campaign involving schools, farming and equine organisations and other relevant parties...’ The need to organise resistance to this detrimental prospect has never been more pressing. The North Coast largely consists of designated ‘Areas of Special Scientific Interest’ and ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, not to mention an economy based almost entirely on agriculture and tourism. Fracking is in no way sustainable here.

A campaign to prevent fracking from destroying the community and environment of the North Coast is under-way. If you want to get involved or can offer any help what-so-ever, please contact notofracking@gmail.com. For more information see www.notofracking.com.

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Comments (4 of 4)

I should of course note that the licence granted to the pertroleum companies that intend to use fracking as the method of extraction of fossil fuel gas does not actually mention fracking in its content. The licence itself uses broader language, which could encompass fracking, or indeed other methods of extraction.
If any of you have followed the situation in Northern Ireland, you will know that these are the grounds on which Arlene Foster (DUP) of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Industry, wormed out of a motion to call a moratorium against fracking in NI.
Apologies for the inaccuracy and any confusion arising therefrom

This particular survey plane is covering the North Coast of the island, rather than the border areas, as mentioned above. It also being done with explicit association to Rathlin Energy Ltd. who would have an interest in exploiting fossil fuel gas.
The Tellus project appears to be quite separate. Even though one of the Tellus project's stated 'Aims and Benefits' is to 'Promote investment in mineral exploration', they also assert in their FAQ's:

'4. Is Tellus Border anything to do with fracking?

No. Tellus Border isn’t related to fracking and isn’t involved with the current shale gas exploration licensing in the border region.'

Also, if the pictures used on the Tellus page are accurate, then it's a different plane that will be carrying out the survey on the North Coast.
It will be interesting to see how the results of the Tellus survey are used, however. Many thanks for bringing this one to attention!